Volume One: The Guardian and the Protégé Chapter Twenty-One: A Room Filled with Nobility

The plaque hanging in front of the Pavilion of Profound Learning read "Hall of Reflection." Its name was inspired by the words of the Analects: "Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous." Yet, at this moment, the students within the hall neither wished to learn nor to reflect. Instead, they filled the chamber with boisterous chatter.

Though a lecturer from the Imperial Academy stood before them, imparting his lessons, to the dozens gathered in the hall, he might as well not exist. The lecturer himself paid no heed to the students' reactions, content to follow his own train of thought and speak his piece.

It was only when Zhang Bi arrived at the doorway, leading Huang Ming, that the noise subsided, and many heads turned to see who had entered. The lecturer, curious, asked, "Lord Zhang, what brings you here?"

"I am escorting this new student, Huang Ming, to the Pavilion of Profound Learning. He has a rudimentary knowledge of characters and is suited to attend this lecture," Zhang Bi replied.

The lecturer, having no objection, nodded slightly and addressed Huang Ming, "Choose any empty seat. Today, we are discussing the 'Yang Huo' chapter." He then nodded politely to Zhang Bi, who, without delay, gave Huang Ming a knowing glance and took his leave.

As the lecturer resumed his teaching, Huang Ming, under the amused scrutiny of the assembly, settled into an empty seat at the back, carrying the freshly issued volumes and the book satchel he had received from Yu Mo. In an instant, all returned to the previous state: the lecturer continued expounding the Analects, the students resumed their unruly clamor, and no one disturbed the other.

Huang Ming could only smile wryly at his predicament. This was indeed an education in solitude. He had little interest in the Four Books or Five Classics, and even if he wished to learn something meaningful at the Imperial Academy, the environment made it near impossible. Worse still, this situation was likely to persist for some time; he could not afford to squander his days with these idle fellows. He needed to devise a strategy, to find another path. Even if he could not join the Imperial Guards, he should at least accomplish something worthwhile.

Yet his attendance at the Academy was by imperial decree, and withdrawing would not be easy.

"Hey… Are you Huang Ming?" A voice called from nearby, accompanied by a tossed paper ball, which he caught deftly. It reminded him of the way students passed notes in middle school, though here it was done openly.

Huang Ming turned to see a youth of similar age, dressed in splendid attire, smiling warmly, evidently eager to make his acquaintance. Huang Ming shifted closer and replied, "Yes, that's me. What's your name?"

"Zhang Han. Are you the son of the palace eunuch Huang, the one who helped the Imperial Guards crack the prisoner abduction case?" asked Zhang Han, his interest piqued as he moved to sit beside Huang Ming.

Huang Ming coughed, his expression somewhat odd—not at Zhang Han's boldness in changing seats during the lecture, but at the name. Wasn't this the notorious Oil King? He didn't resemble him.

"It's fine. Mr. Qu doesn't care what we do," Zhang Han misread Huang Ming's reaction and laughed. "Tell me, how did you solve that case?"

Huang Ming was more curious about how Zhang Han knew so much, even about his background. "How do you know all this, even my family?"

"Oh, word's spread throughout the Imperial Guards. My elder brother serves there; naturally, I know. But since you've earned merit, why are you here instead of joining the Guards?"

Faced with Zhang Han's friendly curiosity, Huang Ming could only chat with him; after all, he understood little of the lecture. His tale, full of intrigue and excitement, soon attracted the attention of several nearby students. In no time, a dozen or so gathered around Huang Ming, finding him more captivating than Mr. Qu.

These youths, always craving excitement, listened enraptured, imagining themselves in the story, and showered him with praise. As Huang Ming finished recounting the events, the lesson ended. Mr. Qu, without lingering or assigning any homework, simply turned and left the hall.

Zhang Han, thoroughly engaged, slapped the desk and declared, "That was exhilarating! If you ever encounter such a case again, you must bring me along."

"And me!"

"Don't forget me!"

The others chimed in, unconcerned that they barely knew Huang Ming, not even his name. Huang Ming did not mind, nodding in agreement, and took the opportunity to ask their names and backgrounds.

If one hoped to acquire useful knowledge at the Imperial Academy, it was a daunting task. But if one wished to forge connections among the powerful, there was ample opportunity. Though most students here were the less capable sons of officials and nobles, even the least capable among them were still members of the elite.

Indeed, after they introduced themselves, Huang Ming was surprised to discover three were quite exceptional.

Zhang Han was from the Duke of England's household, descendant of the great Zhang Yu, who had followed Zhu Di to victory in the campaign of the Jingnan. Even if not of the main branch, he was not to be underestimated.

The other two were no less notable: Zhu Xiong, a descendant of Duke Cheng Zhu Neng, another noble ennobled after the Jingnan campaign; and Xu Qingzhi, from the Duke of Ding's Xu family.

When Xu Qingzhi spoke of his lineage, Huang Ming hesitated—was this young man related to Xu Xingzhi, the Imperial Guard commander?

Before he could ask, a group approached, led by a tall, pale youth who looked down at Huang Ming. "You're the newcomer, Huang Ming? The son of the palace eunuch Huang?"

His words dripped with sarcasm, and another student immediately jeered, "A eunuch with a son? How bizarre! Aren't they supposed to be deprived of that ability?"

This remark provoked laughter among the students, and the leading youth grinned, "You don't know, do you? Eunuchs do have sons, though not by blood—they adopt them as godsons.

"And there's a condition: the godson must be a eunuch too. So if you're Huang's son, you must be a little eunuch yourself!"

Once more, the crowd erupted in laughter. "Yes, that's right, you're a little eunuch! Why are you at the Imperial Academy? Shouldn't you be in the Inner Study?"